After much anticipation, the brilliant blue New Mexico sky is a kaleidoscope of every color of the rainbow. There are so many hot air balloons, it makes you think of countless little helium balloons being released to the air, but they aren’t just balloons. They’re huge, vibrant, high-flying hot-air balloon, and there are hundreds of them — in every conceivable design and color scheme. You click away with your camera, but try as you might, you just can’t capture on film what you see with your eyes.
A breathtaking must-see experience
This is the famed Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta — an event that must be seen to truly appreciate.
Photo: Eric Ward/Flickr
Each October, visitors from near and far descend on Balloon Fiesta Park for a nine-day festival that celebrates these majestic and classic vessels. The tradition has been going strong for more than four decades and grows in size and popularity with each passing year.
Photo: Ingrid Truemper/Flickr
Plenty of place to stay
With ample on-site camping accommodations, it’s easy to see why this event is popular with the RVing crowd. Who wouldn’t want to see this right outside their RV windows?
Photo: Duncan Rawlinson/Flickr
See more than a hot air balloon
In addition to watching the beautiful display of balloons in the sky, fiesta visitors enjoy ample entertainment, food venues and even opportunities for hot-air ballon rides. There a few amazing signature events you shouldn’t miss like the Morning Glow and Twilight Twinkle Glow and my favourite the Balloon Launch (be sure to get there early as you will see pretty much every hot air balloon take off between 6am and 8am). You can read the entire event schedule here: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/event-info/event-schedul
Read more about this unique New Mexico hot air balloon festival by visiting the event’s website here.
Have you been to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta? Tell us about your experience in the comments or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!
